The St. Thomas Aquinas College Golf team finished 3rd at the St. James Plantation Spring Invitational in Southport, NC hosted by Indiana University of Pennsylvania.  The tournament was compromised of the top ranked teams from the Atlantic region including IUP, California University of Pennsylvania and Concord University.

Due to forecasted rain, teams were forced to play 36 holes on Saturday. During their first round the Spartans struggled as a team with a score 307. Senior Nick Delango and sophomore Niklas Koerner led the way carding rounds of 75. Freshman Kai Rastetter battled back from a difficult start and managed a round of 78 after playing his final 5 holes at 2 under par. Freshman Chris Gentle rounded out the team scoring with a score of 79. The Spartans sat in 3rd place after the first round behind IUP (297) and Cal. U (301).

With no break the Spartan golf team continued on to their second round. Leading the team was Kai Rastetter who continued from his hot finish in his first round. Rastetter poured in birdies on 4 of his first 6 holes and posted a team low round of 71 good for a T-6th place finish (78-71). Nik Koerner had another solid tournament and also finished T-6th place after his second round 74 (75-74). Koerner had one of the highlight shots of the event when he drove the 358 yard par 4 18th hole. Senior Nick Delango grinded out another nice round of golf carding a 77 leaving him in a tie for 13th place (75-77). Freshman Chris Gentle played stellar golf all day but had a tough finish to the round posting a score of 77 leaving him in 23rd place (79-77). Junior Tommy Linehan finished in a tie for 40th place after rounds of 81-80.

After a second round of 299 the Spartans  maintained the 3rd place position falling to the champions IUP and narrowly missing 2nd place by 2 shots behind Cal. U. The team is off for the holidays and back in action at the Manhattanville Spring Invitational at Lyman Orchards GC in Middlefield, CT.